Why I hate selling on Craigslist.

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

First and for most the people are rude, they like to low ball you and tell you, your items are junk and not worth that much. Second they lie telling you they are going to come and look at the stuff until you tell them you wil meet them at the police department or a public place like it says on the site. The best part is when you do make an appointment if you will they ask how you want the money and as soon as you say cash they bail. So far that's what has happened to me for my screen printing items, and i put p a mannequin got to Odell shirts which did t work our to well and one guy wants me to sell it for less than half, and the thing is like brand new. I do t expect to get what I paid for the items but don't low ball me, don't think I'm stupid or an idiot. Anyway enough of steam release. Thank you for listening.

[xpaperman 719]

after the price just add the word "firm".  See if that helps a little.  Try "serious buyers only"  "don't waste my time"  I have found on Craigs list you have to be blunt in your ad.  I do agree tho, Craigs list can be frustraiting.  I was trying to buy a treadmill awhile back and the lady would not give me her address ahead of time(so I could GPS it etc).  She told me she would not give me her address until I called and said I was on my way.  Then, she gave me the address of an abandend house down the street.  She watched me arrive from her home then walked out to meet me.  I think I was more scared then she was.

[sleeveofwizzard 104]

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble man. I sell stuff on Craigslist all the time but depending on what it is I know ahead of time if it is going to be a pain or not. Cell phones, stereos, and computers are usually a pain in the rear. Tweakers and dead beats love to call and waist your time like you have experienced. For other things I don't have much trouble at all. As far as vinyl or products I have made, I usually don't even bother. I end up wasting way too much time talking or texting them answers to hundreds of questions and they don't buy anything. 

 

For most things I can throw in my car I meet people a block away at the grocery store. For large stuff they come to my house, I learned that you have to establish when they are coming before giving them your address because too many times after all is said they say they will be there in 7 hours.

[OWJones 1,981]

I've sold a lot of items through Craigslist and nearly gave it up after I started receiving bizarre email responses that led to massive amounts of spam: It worked like this...

 

I'd list an item, say a used set of golf clubs, and get an e-mail with the subject line matching the item I'm selling and then a message like "price?", even though it was clearly listed in the ad - I would respond to the email (and thus provide a real e-mail address to the sender) and suddenly I'd receive 50 spam messages to that e-mail address.   It was the 3rd or 4th time it happened that I realized the correlation between the weird initial response and the steady stream of spam, so be careful responding to any messages that seem weird...

 

Combine that with the number of people who want you to hold the item for them until payday and not sell it to anyone else, or people that live 1 town over and want you to ship it to them, or the people that don't/can't read the ad and understand the words you've written, or the people who think that if they tell you your item is crap and overpriced that you'll drop the price in half, or the people who's "sister's house just burned down and they lost everything and they really need the <item> that you're selling and have almost no money, can you possibly help and drop your price?"...

[jaybyrd 3,770]

You sure that's Craigslist because I get all the same crap at my store all the time.

[Monkey 252]

Yeah anytime Ive listed on craigslist I get spam email for days. Its really annoying.

[Jay2703 704]

Set up a yahoo or gmail account just for Craigslist.

[slice&dice 2,450]

CL is brutal.

 

"Is your item still available?"

[Monkey 252]

Never knew I needed Viagra so bad....but they love to tell me I do

[Smokem 35]

I just develop an attitude.... (whoops...  wrong... I already have it)

I walk away from jerks, or don't answer their questions.
OR don't answer their callbacks.

It is too much fun to observe the actions of those buyers,

when they become aware that you could care less whether

or not you actually sell what you put up for sale.....

Have fun, enjoy the ride 

[sleeveofwizzard 104]

There are a few things you have to expect from Craigslist.

 

1. no matter how detailed your add and description are all of the callers will ask questions that were covered, sometimes every piece of info in your add.

 

2. Spam emails will come. Don' respond to anything that sounds fishy or just stupid. 

 

3. People like to window shop (phone shop). They don't have money or aren't serious about buying what your offering, they just like to dream. 

 

4. Always list a price higher than what you are willing to accept for your item. For some reason I have had many people walk away if they can't haggle you down a little. List the item for $10 to $20 higher for items $200 and under. Above $200 list for $30 to $40 over your desired price.

 

5. Tell them no I will not hold it for you! If you want it come and get it, that's it. 

[RBeaubien 6]

5. Tell them no I will not hold it for you! If you want it come and get it, that's it. 

 

Always tell them the first person that shows up with cash wins.....  To prevent wasting their time, I do tell them I have x people interested and have said they are going to "show up" and when if I have that information.

[OWJones 1,981]

We have a new site that people are using locally - bookoo.com - here in Ottumwa the URL is http://ottumwa.bookoo.com and is probably similar for wherever you live.

 

It's kind of like Craigslist, but without all the losers (at least not yet).  They also send a daily email with all of the latest listings.  Just today after lunch I went and picked up a gas-powered pressure washer for $65 - the seller had it already hooked up when I got there, let me start it and operate and I was there and gone in less than 10 minutes.  He was extremely polite and professional.  If every Craigslist purchase could have gone that smoothly, I'd still be using Craigslist...

[sleeveofwizzard 104]

I am a member of a few facebook groups that are for selling items. One is named "Chowchilla Online Yard Sale" and another is "Fresno area 4wd Parts Exchange" there are tons popping up and can be started by anyone, even you. They are good because there is usually something that all the members have in common and whoever starts the group has control over who gets to be a member. My wife is a member of a couple baby related groups and cloth diapers, works out great for them. 

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

Well I actually have an intelligent person contact me about the mannequin and the first thing he asked was were I was located so he doesn't waste his time or my time he lives in Racine and doesn't want to travel to Chicago to get one of these.

[bizzytop 1]

I've sold many items on craigslist,  my secret ask them to email you there phone number.  If no phone number no responds.  I've had much luck this way.  If they are willing to provide you with there number then they must be serious about buying your item.  It's worked like a charm for me, but of course i sell to mostly artists and teachers in town.